Never Let Go
by NovemberNineteen
Summary: Rated T for mild swearing. One shot. The rest of the Titans have gone somewhere, leaving Raven to haunt the tower alone.


AN: First story! I've kinda just been a lurker before this. Constructive criticism welcome. You could flame me but I'll just ignore it. A little background: this story is from Raven's POV, and in some AU. I imagined a world pretty similar to the future world when Star gets sucked into the future and the team falls apart. It was inspired by the Teen Titans, and a book called "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro. Oh, almost forgot, I don't own the Teen Titans or Never Let Me Go. I pretty sure I'm supposed to put that in here somewhere.

Never Let Go

It feels dark, even though the sun has risen already. Or maybe it's just me. Walking through the tower seems even more difficult today. Memories are restless. I reach the common room, and dust rises as I brush off the game console. I've beaten all the old records. It's funny, once upon a time this would have been a momentous occasion, but now things are different, and playing all the old video games has become a sort of nostalgic habit.

I hear a creak behind me; something else is in the room. I pay it no mind. I gave up trying to control these occurrences ages ago. Beside me I feel the couch shift, as if someone had sat down. I don't look over yet, still intent on the game. My little space ship's butt is getting kicked by the other evil little space ships. I finally die, and putting the controller aside, I look next to me.

Starfire is looking at me, smiling of course, and I smile back.

"Hey Star. How are you?"

She beams at me and begins talking animatedly. Or at least I imagine she is, as her mouth is moving, but no words are coming out. She pauses and looks at me expectantly; I assume she asked me a question.

"Hey, maybe later, do you think we could go to the mall?" I ask, dodging the unknown question. She laughs silently, and leans over to envelop me in one of her signature bone-crushing hugs. I see her body making the motions, and her arms are encircling me, but I don't feel anything. It's like she isn't there at all. I ignore that thought. Star rises, and her pretty red hair floats behind her as she dashes out of the room, probably to go to her own room and prepare for the "trip of shopping." I stare at the door she left through, lost in thought for a moment. We should have gone shopping together more. I never really showed it, but I enjoyed the time I spent with her. Her genuine enthusiasm in everything she did always lifted my spirits, even if it was sometimes only marginally.

I drew my knees up to my chest, curling into a ball. I _hate_ this. It isn't fair. Why do things have to change? All I have left are memories, and they are a _mockery_ of the real thing. I feel moisture at the edges of my eyes, and for once I don't stop it. I'm crying. Raven is _crying_. Suddenly I'm giggling desperately, and it is the creepiest sound I have ever made.

I lie there for a while, tears drying on my face while I reminisce about all the stupid stankball matches I refereed for Beastboy and Cyborg. I hear footsteps in front of me, and I look up and try to compose myself. It's Robin, surprisingly. I haven't seen him in a while. He looks at me, and I know he is about to lecture me. The thought is comforting.

"Raven. This is not healthy." Oddly enough, he's always been the only one I can actually hear.

"Really, what gave you that idea?" I ask, loading my voice with as much sarcasm as I can manage. He sits down beside me, and tries to take my hand. I jerk away.

"You know I can't feel that. Don't rub it in."

He sighs.

"I'm not trying to rub it in. I'm trying to comfort you."

"It's not working."

"How am I supposed to help you if you won't accept my help?"

"Your help consists of telling me to move on. I don't want to move on. I don't have anything to move on to. All I have left are my memories, and you want me to let go of those. I will never let go."

"Raven, you will find new people who will accept you and love you. You just have to try."

"I don't care. Those new people will never be you. They will never be Star, and Cyborg, and Beastboy. You four have left a gaping hole in my heart, and nothing will be able to fill that emptiness." I can't believe I just said that in a serious conversation. That line belongs in a soap opera.

"Yeah, but maybe you would feel less shitty than you do now."

"Perhaps."


End file.
